Br. Robert Macke SJ
@brbobmackesj.bsky.social
Planetary Scientist/Maker/Meteorite Curator at Vatican Observatory DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily represent the Vatican Observatory, the Jesuits, the Vatican, or the Catholic Church.
“Verify your age” My first computer had no hard drive and it’s active RAM had been expanded to a whopping 48kb
Andy Rivkin@asrivkin.bsky.social · 3w agoIf someone used a credit card at a department store, the person at the register would grunt unhappily and pull out a big book (and/or one of its monthly updates) to look through to make sure that the credit card number being used was legit. The receipt they handed you would include the carbon paper.
Pretty cool swag from the Independence Day celebration at the US embassy to the Holy See. 🇻🇦 🇺🇸
Advertise your bluesky account with a Simpsons meme
Emily Rauscher@astronemly.bsky.social · 2mo agoAdvertise your bluesky account with a Simpsons meme
name a tv show you're positive nobody remembers [or knows about] but you Science Fiction Theater was an *actual* show that *actually* aired in the 1950s. (No I wasn't alive for the original airtime but I've seen it on DVD). Hosted by Truman Bradley. George McFly fictionally missed an episode.
Andy Rivkin@asrivkin.bsky.social · 2mo agoname a tv show you're positive nobody remembers but you Bet. It's Salvage 1, starring Andy Griffith. I queued the YouTube link to the start of the opening credits, but you can back it up to get the teaser for that week's episode. youtu.be/HODkJABWo08?...
Best Star Wars movie? - Wrong answers only. I'll start:
Happy Star Wars Day to those who celebrate. Live Long and Prosper. 🖖 😜
Vatican Observatory has asteroid named after Pope Leo XIII - Vatican News www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-c...
Vatican Observatory has asteroid named after Pope Leo XIII - Vatican News
The Vatican Observatory announces that four asteroids have been named after important figures in its history, including Pope Leo XIII, who re-founded ...
vaticannews.va
Applications for the 2027 Vatican Observatory Summer School (Theme: The Cosmic Legacy of Evolved Stars) are now open! Visit www.vaticanobservatory.va/en/component... Application deadline 30 SEPTEMBER 2026
In the latest batch of asteroid names, Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903) was honored with the asteroid 858334 Gioacchinopecci.
Today I was honored to serve as proxy for Jocelyn Bell Burnell to receive the European Capo Circeo prize.
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Grab a pint of your favorite Irish beverage and celebrate a new paper by the members of my working group in OSIRIS-REx. science.nasa.gov/missions/osi...
Asteroid Bennu's Rugged Surface Baffled NASA, We Finally Know Why - NASA Science
In one of the biggest surprises of NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, its target asteroid, Bennu, turned out to be a jagged, rugged world covered in large boulders, with few of the smooth patches of sandy or ...
science.nasa.gov
Pitch an unnecessary sequel Oppenheimest
Peter Sagal@petersagal.bsky.social · 5mo agoPitch an unnecessary sequel Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights
Pitch an unnecessary sequel The Princess Divorcee
Emily Rauscher@astronemly.bsky.social · 5mo agoPitch an unnecessary sequel Shawshank Recidivism
Can somebody please fix Wiley pubs? EVERY SINGLE TIME I am an author or coauthor on a paper, they add "Italy" to my affiliation address. Vatican City-State is not Italy. On the latest paper, the address was correct through the proofs, but they changed the pub version to "Albano Laziale, Italy"
Yet another update for the graphic. Up to 58 asteroids now. Congrats to recent nominees David Brown SJ, Bayu Risanto SJ. Alois Gatterer SJ, Ernst Salpeter SJ, Daniel O'Connell SJ, Joseph Junkes SJ, and José Funes SJ. (Okay, so 4 of them are deceased.)
Theoretical Experimental Observational Exploratory
Andy Rivkin@asrivkin.bsky.social · 5mo agoSBAG OPAG MEPAG LEAG
Surreal thing of the day: a VERY notable astronomer (like wow level) will be receiving an award in a few months but can’t actually be present for it, and I have been asked to stand in as proxy for her.
Tell me five classes you took in college: (Im sticking to undergraduate only. The 3 masters and PhD don’t count) Writing science fiction (w/ Joe Haldeman) Intro to music theory Philosophy of language General Relativity Organic chemistry
Larry R. Nittler 🚀🎹🌖☄️@larrynittler.bsky.social · 6mo agoTell me five classes you took in college: Human biology and behavior Philosophy of quantum mechanics Arthurian romances Advanced functional analysis History of jazz I was a physics major
VOF newsletter - 2026-01-28 - Summer School Payoff Br, Guy talks about his friend, Dr. Ray Jayawardhana, alumnus of the 1993 Vatican Observatory Summer School, who will become the tenth president of Caltech. mailchi.mp/vaticanobser... Image credit: Anna Marlis Burgard
Today included a very nice visit to the analytical laboratories of the Vatican Museums. Quite impressive.
Slightly diminish a band: They Might Be Of Average Stature
Andy Rivkin@asrivkin.bsky.social · 7mo agoSlightly diminish a band: Fairport Tag-up
Not a comet. Just plane lights scattering weirdly under just the right conditions
I once attended a private musical performance, sitting literally two rows right behind Pope Benedict.
Paul Owen@paulowengames.bsky.social · 7mo agoPlease quote this from the time you didn't interact with someone famous. I was visiting with family in New Bedford, Massachusetts, at the same time that Mother Theresa was there visiting her Missionaries of Charity. The bishop held a Mass for her at the church where I was baptized. I didn't go.
About two decades ago I was supposed to be interviewed by Morgan Freeman for his show The Story of God, but there was a bad storm that day and he couldn't make it. He interviewed a backup option instead.
Paul Owen@paulowengames.bsky.social · 7mo agoPlease quote this from the time you didn't interact with someone famous. I was visiting with family in New Bedford, Massachusetts, at the same time that Mother Theresa was there visiting her Missionaries of Charity. The bishop held a Mass for her at the church where I was baptized. I didn't go.